


Dream With Me

by AideStar



Series: Linked Universe Fics [17]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Development, Coming of Age, Dissociation, Drowning, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Koholint, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Mental Link, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Sad with a Happy Ending, Shipwrecks, Sort Of, Time Skips, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24963505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AideStar/pseuds/AideStar
Summary: Legend had been gone for months, but Hyrule stayed strong. His friend--hisbrother--would return. He had to be sure, for both of them, too afraid of thinking otherwise. In the logical part of his mind he knew Legend had more adventures ahead--not just one, not just two. So he would be fine, absolutely fine, and he’d come back and it would be like nothing had ever happened!But the longer Legend was gone, the more he worried.---Legend joins the group after his third adventure but soon leaves to save a mysterious island. He returns a very different person.
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Link/Marin (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Linked Universe Fics [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758937
Comments: 48
Kudos: 253





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! Sorry for the one day hiatus, I was in the car all day yesterday and was too tired to edit/post/reply to things after. But, as promised, I have returned with angst... I stumbled on this prompt nearly 2 months ago on the discord (big thanks to JJ for posting it!) and it had been on my list for a long time before I got the inspiration to make it happen. This fic is crazy and I love it, I hope you guys do too! It's probably only 2 chapters long, but it's 2 chapters packed with angst and plot weaving and character development >:)  
> I wanna give a huge thanks to everyone who reads, kudos, and comments! I got so much love on the last fic and I'm seriously overwhelmed, thank you all so much!! Please leave a comment if you enjoy, they make my day and give me the fuel to keep writing :D

The Hero of Legend was just a boy, all things considered. He tried his best not to act like one, just like all the heroes who had yet to fully mature, but Time saw it clearly. In the way he would joke around with Wind and Wild, in the unrestrained grins and occasional bursts of laughter. The pranks, the itch to explore, the sparkling of his eyes when he spoke of adventures past and wished foolishly for ones to come. At only seventeen, Legend still had a youthful curve to his jaw, a lilt to his voice, a spring in his step. He’d been on three adventures before joining the group, but he wasn’t bitter like Time had grown. Most of the boys weren’t, and Time found solace in the fact that some may have a chance at a childhood yet.

But Time knew better than to expect such mercy from the Goddesses.

When Hyrule and Legend met they became fast friends, hailing from the same timeline and holding similar beliefs. They were like brothers, nearly inseparable at times. Despite their carefree attitudes, Time remembered clearly the hint Hyrule had given all those months ago. That the Hero of Legend had many more than three adventures under his belt. That soon, Legend would live up to his title; that he would become the very model of the hero Hyrule looked up to. Legend had been pleased, excited even, confident grin overtaking his face.

Time was not so optimistic.

It was far too soon when Fi broke the tenuous peace the stitched together family had created. Legend tried to hide it under cocky grins, quips at Warriors, games of truth or dare with Wild and Wind. But Time saw the anxiety in the tap of his foot, saw the fear in the way his smiles didn’t reach his eyes. Legend was trying to reassure his friends, and himself, and Time supposed he’d let him. There was nothing he could say or do really, not when the Goddesses had sealed this boy’s fate so tightly. There were words of encouragement, assurances, wishes of _good luck_ and _come back soon_ , of course, but no tangible words were spoken between the two. Only a fleeting glance, a snag of their gazes against each other as Legend stepped through the portal that had come for him. A half-there, pleading, desperate, _child-like_ smile, dissolved by the darkness as Legend was sucked away. Time nearly reached out, hand balling into a tight fist at his side, but no. Time knew there was nothing to be done.

The first letter arrived a week later.

\---

Legend had been gone for months, but Hyrule stayed strong. His friend--his _brother_ \--would return. He had to be sure, for both of them, too afraid of thinking otherwise. In the logical part of his mind he knew Legend had more adventures ahead--not just one, not just two. So he would be fine, absolutely fine, and he’d come back and it would be like nothing had ever happened!

But the longer Legend was gone, the more he worried. The harder his chest ached, the more he found himself buried under thoughts that took too much energy to extricate himself from. The others were worried too, he knew, and they showed it in their own ways. More pranks on Warriors and Twilight, more jokes that fell flat without the dry laughter that used to accompany them, more stories of times past to distract from the present. Maybe Legend would share the stories of this adventure with them when he returned. He was such a good story teller, detailing his three adventures lovingly, plucking strings of a harp while he serenaded them with places travelled and peoples saved.

Hyrule was beginning to forget Legend’s voice.

It scared him more than anything.

At first there had been letters-- _lots_ of letters. Hyrule was the only one who could read them, and of course they had been addressed to him, but Legend wrote that he didn’t mind him sharing with the group. He spoke of an island, warm sands and gentle breezes. Hyrule knew Legend was only writing about the good parts. His letters were as optimistic in tone as he was in voice, but Legend wasn’t nearly as carefree as he wanted everyone to believe.

The first time he wrote of Marin, Hyrule knew she meant more to him than he let on.

Warriors had joked instantly, some of the others laughing along, but Hyrule knew it was more than a mere joke. More than a name in passing. Legend’s handwriting was always neat, but Marin’s name was a curl of letters, a flourish lovingly crafted by hands that had written it many times before. Imagining Legend writing Marin’s name over and over again in his journal was an amusing sight, but Hyrule smiled to believe it true. Legend had found someone he loved, and Hyrule couldn’t be happier.

The adventure Legend described was hard to believe though. Sometimes the words he wrote made no sense, sliding over Hyrule’s mind like oil on water, not registering. Words catching on his tongue in unfamiliar tones, written in a language he knew but meanings much bigger than their containers. Legend described events and outcomes that made little sense, and while the others asserted what an awful liar Legend was, Hyrule bit his lip in concern.

It didn’t sound like a lie.

The letters had started in a frequent stream, once a week or more. Then just once a week, then once every two. Then one after a month of silence, it’s contents short, pointed, stressed.

“He must be reaching the end of his adventure. I wouldn’t worry, he’s just too busy to write.” Time had assured one night when Hyrule expressed his concerns.

The letters stopped coming soon after that.

Hyrule would read them over again some nights. The ache in his chest was a dull throb after so many months, but he wouldn’t give up hope. He kept Legend’s letters safe, tucked between his tunics and close to his heart. Nightmares plagued his dreams. Hyrule would stay up late, staring at starless skies and wondering if Legend was doing the same wherever he was. The tired cling of sleep on his mind, the heavy tug under his eyes, the dull roar of silence at the back of his mind became a constant companion. Anything was better than the nightmares.

If he had to see Legend swallowed by a churning dark sea one more time he’d be sick. If he saw his best friend--his brother, the one person he felt truly understood him--washed up and still as the dead on a beach _one more time_ he would break. If he tore from the depths of dreams borne from Legend’s confusing descriptions, disoriented and dizzy and gasping for breath, one, more, time, Hyrule would never sleep again.

It wasn’t because of the fear that clogged his words in his throat. It wasn’t because he couldn’t bear to see Legend so battered and bruised.

It was because Hyrule knew that what he saw was true.

When he woke, covered in a thin sheen of sweat and clinging to consciousness like a raft at sea, the warmth at the back of his left hand would become a _fire_. The Triforce, all three pieces, would brand itself into him again and again with _insistence_ that could only mean one thing.

There was no use in denying it, and he didn’t believe the lies he told himself to push back the dread.

“I can’t take it anymore,” Hyrule whispered one night, when the weight of the dreams weighed heavily on his mind. Sky looked up from his whittling, eyes flitting to Hyrule’s hunched form with caution and concern and a knowing smoulder in his gaze.

“Can’t take what?” Sky asked, hushed, and though the others were fast asleep Hyrule knew the tone was for his benefit and not theirs.

“He’s hurt, I know it. I _see_ it.” Hyrule stared deep into the fire, hands trembling, dead in his lap.

Sky carved a few more slivers of wood off the piece he held, knife glinting sharp in the night.

“You mean the dreams you’ve been having?”

“They’re not dreams…”

Sky buried the knife in the wood, too deep, and frowned. His eyes burned holes into the carving, silent, the crackle of flames filling the void in his stead.

“Visions?”

“I can’t do it anymore.” Hyrule squeezed his eyes shut, hands threading through too-long hair that tickled his nose. He felt like he was drifting at sea, mind and body rocked in a lullaby of false security on stormy waters. Sky’s hand found his shoulder, firm, grounding.

“Hyrule, you need to sleep.” the whisper fell on ears filled with the roar of the ocean, words turned to faint wisps of moonlight breaking the surface.

“ _What if he’s already dead?_ ” Hyrule felt the ache at the back of his throat, the vice in his chest tightening. Sky didn’t make a sound. “He’s been on that beach for so long. Someone needs to wake him up, but I don’t know how--”

“Breathe, ‘Rule.” Sky began to tap a steady rhythm onto his back, other hand working to untangle his own from their grip in his hair.

Hyrule breathed, and ice filled his lungs. He opened his eyes, and dark waters swirled around him. He heard the rush of the sea in his ears. He felt the caress of freezing waves against his body, pinpricks of pain across bare skin. He was weightless, floating, currents swaying him back and forth in a mock of comfort. _Sleep_ , they called, weight dragging him down. The glitter of sunlight, moonlight, barely visible through the haze of the water. Lightning cracked, muffled through the depths. Hyrule sank lower, impossibly heavy, tears stinging his eyes along with the saltwater.

“ _Hyrule!_ ”

Sky’s voice shook, cracked, rising louder than he’d ever heard it before, louder than it was meant to ever be. Hands gripped his shoulders, hard, shaking, shaking _him_. Hyrule blinked, and there was the white of Sky’s sailcloth wrapped around him. Tears and fear written plainly in Sky’s blue-gold eyes, his face pale, like he’d seen a ghost. Relief flooded into the crack the fear had left, softening the jagged expression that Hyrule wished he could unsee. Wished he could undo, but no, this was his doing. Sky pulled back, crouching before Hyrule as their eyes met, both ignoring the worried voices from the waking camp.

It was just them here. No waves, crashing over his head, no visions seen through his brother’s eyes. No limp bodies on damp and torn sand, no scattered wood and wreckage and splayed limbs and too-pale skin. No person, looking the spitting image of Legend the day he left them, not a scrap of evidence of the journey he wrote of. No trace.

“You alright?” Sky whispered.

\---

Hyrule still hadn’t slept when the sun rose over a new Hyrule days later. He knew he must be imagining things. The sparse trees, the sandy earth, the not-so-distant crash of waves that mimicked the ones in his head. It was magic hour, the wisps of night still clinging to the beginnings of sunrise. A fragile time, when reality dipped and swayed and teetered on the brink of somewhere else. Hyrule stood, head clear for the first time in weeks, spirit thrumming expectantly. He didn’t wait, the tug on his soul growing more and more insistent the closer he got, the crash of waves louder. His steps became a run, a sprint, as Hyrule broke through the treeline and onto the beach.

A calm, grey sea; the gentle lap of water on sands torn and covered in debris.

The prone form of a lost friend.

“Legend!” Hyrule practically screamed, desperate, stumbling through waterlogged sand as he drew closer.

He fell to his knees, hands pulling Legend onto his back in the still morning light. His face was white as a sheet, his skin cold to the touch, his hair plastered over peaceful features. Hyrule bent down, ear over his chest, and felt every bit of tension leave his body at the thready beat below the surface.

Tears blurred his vision, sliding down his cheeks fast and hot as a sob built up in his too-tight chest. Alive. Legend was _alive_.

“Legend,” Hyrule grasped his shoulder, shaking him slightly. “Legend, wake up.”

His face pinched in discomfort, eyes squeezing tight. Hyrule held his breath as sparkling blue eyes blinked open, confused, unrecognizing for a terrifying moment. Legend looked at him, alarm, dread, _fear_ flickering over his expression, and Hyrule found his weak grip being torn away as Legend bolted upright. He scrambled away, breathing heavy with absolute, bone chilling _terror_ written across his face, hand grasping for the dagger at his belt.

Hyrule raised his hands, placating, heart pounding. Legend’s breaths came in panicked wheezes, body frozen as water lapped at his back. The sun was rising, the dull blue of the sky turning to light pinks and golds. There were shouts coming from the forest, Legend’s head snapping to the sound and eyes widening further.

“Legend, what’s wrong?” Hyrule’s voice was a shaking whisper, broken, and Legend’s gaze snapped back to him instantly.

“L-Leave me be,” Legend rasped, wincing in pain. He gripped the hilt of his blade, white knuckled.

“ _No,_ Legend, I’m not going to leave you!” Hyrule reached, but Legend pulled the dagger, eyes narrowing in rage, hurt, betrayal.

“You’re not real.” Legend spat, and Hyrule felt the blood leave his face, felt his hands begin to tremble, a shiver running down his spine. “You’re just a dream. _A dream_. Why has Hylia forsaken me, what did I do wrong--” Legend’s voice broke, tears leaking down his cheeks. “Does she want me to kill my brothers too?”

Legend and Hyrule sat on the beach, a mere two feet separating them. It felt like much more. Farther than they’d ever been apart before. The other heroes stumbled onto the sand, frozen in shock as they took in the scene before them. Legend, knife drawn and hands shaking dangerously. Hyrule, knees buried in the sand and hands held over his chest, trying desperately not to reach out again. The sun was rising, pinks disappearing into vibrant gold and crushed purple and bright blue. As dawn broke, their vision wavered.

Hyrule gasped, Legend blurring before him, the sand beneath him fading, the roar of the waves diminishing. Magic hour was ending.

“This isn’t a dream,” Hyrule whispered, and Legend’s shoulders shook with silent sobs. “I’m real. I’m here. Legend, come with me.”

Hyrule stretched out his arm, fingers splayed, eyes _begging_. Legend flinched back, dagger slipping from shaking fingers. He stared, disbelieving. Vertigo consumed Hyrule’s senses, his vision clouding with black dots.

“ _Take my hand,_ Legend!” Hyrule cried, and Legend jumped.

He sprung forward, hand grasping.

Hyrule felt nothing as Legend’s hand passed through his.

“ _Hyrule!_ ”

He blinked, and found himself in an unfamiliar field, reaching towards sunrise.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legend wiped his eyes, sucked in a steadying breath, and trudged the last few steps into the clearing.
> 
> His eyes locked with Time’s.
> 
> _Confusion, recognition, regret, concern, resignation--_
> 
> Legend looked away, down at his feet, up again to see the shocked faces of his old friends. He waved, quick, jerky, face set in a mask of calm indifference.
> 
> “Long time no see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter (and final) is here! Thank you guys for reading, your comments mean so much to me :D I've been going through a rough patch where I'm not happy with what I've been writing but hearing that you guys enjoy it gives me the strength to keep trying. Thank you all so much for reading my work and continuing to support my writing, it means the world to me.  
> If you like the fic please leave a comment or kudos, they make my day <3

Legend had been gone for a long time. He didn’t recognize the boy from his memories, so young and free, and he doubted those he’d once called brothers would recognize him now either. Legend was a hollow shell of the person he’d once been, the kind, loving, caring, trusting part of himself compacted to a corner of his mind to make way for grief that filled every crevice. Months after Koholint-- _the adventure that never happened, the broken promises, the betrayal of an uncaring and toying Goddess_ \--Legend found himself back on the doorstep of a home that no longer felt like home. Another quest awaited him there.

Adventuring was wonderful for ignoring problems. Legend dove in head first, not a question on his lips (not a word, in fact, his voice as dead as his heart since Koholint). In lonely nights spent under starless skies, battered from too many fights inside and out, Legend would let himself grieve. He would take out his ocarina and play those same notes, lilting, haunting, and let memories of an ocean breeze and a sparkling laugh and hair as red as sunset lull him to sleep. Sleeping was easy, peaceful. Waking was the hard part. Legend would swallow his panic and pinch his arm too-hard until the racing of his heart and electricity beneath his skin faded to a dull ache in his chest. Months of travel, nights spent alone, days fighting for his life; it all helped Legend in his goal of ignoring the heaviness of his broken heart and the guilt that choked off his words.

All he allowed was anger. Irritation. Annoyance. Not a scrap of joy, a hint of sorrow, a lick of guilt. Kindness became sarcasm. Jokes became bitter and dry. Playfulness was gone, replaced by firm determination and cold, silent glares. Legend still felt sometimes, emotions plucking at the back of his mind, but he pushed the thoughts aside. He closed himself off. In another life, another time, he’s sure he’d have more than a tenuous friendship with Ravio. He’s sure, if Hylia hadn’t forsaken him, he’d still be sitting shoulder to shoulder with his brothers. Playing pranks and sharing stories and pretending he still had a childhood left to enjoy. Not the weight of the world on his shoulders. Not years of solitude-- _self imposed_ \--and haunting memories too real to be dreams but too dreamlike to be real.

His hand, passing through his brother’s.

Heartbroken eyes and tears and pleading fading with the morning sun.

In the small part of his soul that still had the energy to _love,_ to _yearn_ , he hoped he didn’t hurt Hyrule too badly that day. He hoped he wouldn't hate him too much. Legend was scared, _he still was_ , and mistrusting, _still_ , and disbelieving that he’d be given such a chance.

Was he really given the chance though, he wondered. In the dead of night he screamed it at the stars. If adventure was waiting at his door when he returned, was he really given the chance to go with them, or was it simply another cruel trick?

_Was Hyrule there to begin with, or was it all a dream?_

Legend tried not to dwell.

The adventure was difficult, but not shattering. It was difficult, but not harrowing. He took a few bad hits, but it was nothing compared to the incessant ache carved in his soul from _her_. He returned home-- _not home, home was a dream in your head_ \--and laid down on his bed. Didn’t bother to remove a single piece of armor, a scrap of fabric, not even his boots. Legend stared at the ceiling and waited for the nightmare to end, but it didn't. He was awake.

And she was gone.

Things didn’t get much better in the following peaceful months, but Legend hadn’t expected much else. He went through the motions, like usual. He shrugged off the worried looks, turning away from the pleading questions. He hadn’t told anyone about Koholint, and it would stay that way.

He would suffer the consequences of his failure alone.

He earned this pain.

As expected, it was far too soon when the portal arrived.

Legend stared at the swirling purple rectangle that had unfolded itself in his living room, ignoring the startled cry of Ravio from the kitchen as it unfurled with a loud crack. He sat on his couch, face blank, eyes narrowed--a perfect mask of irritation and indifference. Inside, he was screaming. It had been so long, the months piling up too high for Legend to count--although, the countless weeks spent in Koholint had been a mere three days to the waking world. Years had passed, surely, since the last time he’d stepped through this portal. His friend’s adventure had still not finished, and now the Goddesses wanted him back within their ranks.

He was not a hero any longer. It made no sense to him why she’d be calling on him still, when the bite of failure was still sharp in his heart.

“Uh, Mr. Hero? What is that?” Ravio’s nervous voice called from the doorway, breaking Legend from his one-sided staring match.

“It seems I have another world to save,” Legend’s voice dripped with irritation, but Ravio leveled a worried, knowing look at him in return. Damn, he’d let him get too close.

“You only saved Lorule two months ago…” Ravio mumbled, and Legend huffed.

“No one ever said the Goddess was kind, Rav.”

“So you’re going then?” Ravio followed Legend with wary eyes as he rose from his seat, stretching out joints too sore for someone so young.

He was only twenty and he was already feeling the effects of too many nights spent on hard ground, too many hits taken, too many adventures traveled. He wanted to _retire_ , but the portal waited expectantly for his return despite his condition. Legend tried to ignore Ravio’s nervous hovering as he set to work packing his things, shoving any weapon he might need in his bag, twisting ring after ring onto his fingers. Legend tugged on his adventuring gear, eyes roaming over the other tunics in his chest from past journeys. The one he’d worn when he left the group was too small for him now. The one he’d worn the last time he’d seen Hyrule was tattered and coarse. He kept them all, memories of good and bad times past, ignoring the pull at his heart and the sting behind his eyes.

He was not the same person as he had been.

“Well, I’m off.” Legend gave a short wave to Ravio as he strode back into the living room.

“Wait!” Ravio called, grabbing his wrist with pleading eyes. Legend froze, skin prickling at the points of contact, a shiver running down his spine. It had been quite a long time since he’d touched another person. Ravio let go immediately, shrinking in on himself at whatever look had appeared on his face in his moment of surprise, but Legend did as requested, hip cocked and head tilted in expectation.

“What is it?”

“Um, I--” Ravio fidgeted, eyes flitting around every which way. He wore his heart on his sleeve, every emotion plain on his face. Fear, worry, desperation. Ravio unclasped the bracelet around his wrist, hands trembling ever so slightly, and pushed it towards Legend. “I-If you’re truly leaving, then take this.”

“Ravio, I can’t--” Legend began, but the bracelet was only thrust into his hands with more insistence. “You need this to get home, I can’t just leave you here without it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ravio put on his most reassuring smile, which still wavered with emotion. “You need it more than me. It’s a dangerous world out there.”

Legend nodded slightly, holding the bracelet delicately in his hands. He clasped it around his wrist, fitting as perfect as it had not two months ago when he’d last worn it.

“Thank you, Ravio.” Legend said with a heavy heart, and Ravio’s eyes widened in surprise. It was the least he could do for the man, after he’d put up with his silence, then his tears, and now his leaving so soon. Ravio deserved so much better than him, but the smile on his face was genuine now, wide and a bit flustered, and Legend felt a small one tug at his lips in return. “I’d best be going now, though.”

He waved, and Ravio’s too-big sleeves flopped as he waved back at twice the speed.

The portal was cold, disorienting. Legend felt a flare of panic as he was reminded of tumbling waves and churning seas, black and freezing and unforgiving, before his foot met solid ground and he was somewhere else.

The sounds of nature flooded his ears before his vision returned, and Legend blinked in surprise as he took in his surroundings. Tall trees peppered the landscape, branches overhead woven thick enough to block the moon from sight. Roots the size of his arm tore up the earth beneath his feet, mossy ground cushioning as he took tentative steps. He could see a flicker of light in the distance, could hear the murmur of voices on the gentle night breeze. Dark shapes crowded around a fire. An occasional burst of laughter, relaxed postures, the placement of bedrolls in a spiraling circle.

This was home too, once.

Legend had been walking towards the group before he even registered what his feet were doing, but he managed to grasp onto a tree and stop himself a few meters out. This close, he could make out the familiar faces of his brothers. They looked the same, if a bit more reserved than he remembered. Legend had grown, he’d changed, but they hadn’t.

His eyes landed on Hyrule, the boy’s brown hair bobbing as he laughed. It was a small thing, shoulders shaking and ears perking up. It wasn’t the startled-sounding giggles and unrestrained mirth he remembered.

Legend’s eyes landed on Wild next, huddled up against Twilight with a closeness he didn’t recall seeing before. Wind did the same with Warriors--and _that_ was confusing. Legend watched in silence and observed, and a strange pressure filled his chest. Sky wrapped an arm around Hyrule’s shoulders and pulled him against his side, and the dam broke, hot tears welling up in Legend’s eyes.

He didn’t belong here anymore.

But he was here for a reason, nonetheless.

With that, Legend snapped the doors closed on his emotions. Walled the sadness and heartache away as he always did and locked the doors tightly. It was good that his friends had moved on. He would make sure it stayed that way, for everyone’s sake. No need to make friends, no need to get close. If he opened up his heart again, he knew it would only be a matter of time before it was torn apart.

Legend wiped his eyes, sucked in a steadying breath, and trudged the last few steps into the clearing.

His eyes locked with Time’s.

_Confusion, recognition, regret, concern, resignation--_

Legend looked away, down at his feet, up again to see the shocked faces of his old friends. He waved, quick, jerky, face set in a mask of calm indifference.

“Long time no see.”

\---

It had been a mere two months since the last time Hyrule had seen his brother. That day on the beach, the flashes of visions and nightmares that preceded it, every scrap had begun to fade. As if it had never happened to begin with, though in his heart he knew that wasn't the case. He'd _touched_ Legend, he'd felt his steady heartbeat, heard a broken but familiar voice. But it had been a couple months since that day, and no one spoke of it. Least of all Hyrule. The constant ache of worry, fear, anguish he'd felt in Legend's absence had sapped him dry. After that day he stopped having visions, and though he didn't receive a single letter from his brother, he held onto hope. Legend was alive, somewhere, and Hyrule let that reassure him enough to let his anxiety fade. He returned to the group, opened back up, let himself laugh and smile again despite the ache of loss that held his heart. Legend would come back, someday, and Hyrule let that thought ease his pain.

Now that Legend was standing on the edge of camp, clad in unfamiliar clothes, a strip of pink in his hair, an indifferent look on his face, Hyrule didn't know what he'd expected. A sign, a warning maybe? Fanfare and celebration and the return of someone close to his heart, the return of his brother.

Hyrule hardly recognized him.

The last five months had been a blur of heartache and fading hopes. Legend had only been gone _five months_. So why was he suddenly taller, why did his gait favor his left leg, why did his eyes pass over the group cold and uncaring? Where did the frown lines and faint new scars come from, when two months ago Hyrule had seen his friend unchanged by time?

Hyrule gazed up at Legend from beside a wide-eyed Sky and tried to meet his eyes. Even briefly, just for a second. Legend ignored him.

"Legend, is that you?" Warriors' incredulous voice broke the silence. Legend rolled his eyes--since when did he do _that?_ \--and scoffed.

"Yeah, pretty boy, who else would it be?" he snarked, and Hyrule felt panic clog his throat.

"It's good to have you back, kid." Time greeted, and the two men exchanged a look that made Hyrule wish he could read people better. There was something there, a secret shared, but Hyrule wasn't quick enough to catch it before Legend looked away with a grimace.

"Not exactly a kid anymore, Old Man," Legend huffed, crossing his arms. There was a hint of sadness in his tone that he covered with sass, a twitch of a frown on his lips beyond the stale indifference.

There was another moment of silence, far too tense for what should be a happy reunion. Hyrule's hands twitched. He wanted nothing more than to bolt up and wrap his friend in a hug, but the part of his brain that knew _danger_ told him not to. Instead, Hyrule watched as Legend strode towards an empty spot in the circle, set down his bag, and propped his head on one hand. After a few moments the group picked up their previous conversation, the tension in the air easing as Legend sat in seemingly relaxed silence. Hyrule didn't pay attention to the words, the stories being recounted. His eyes fixed on the numerous rings around his friend's hands, the tired slope of his shoulders, the subtle shift of his expression. Legend looked up, their eyes meeting for the first time, and Hyrule tried to pour all his emotion into that one look.

Legend's eyes flicked away before he could.

The next few days were made of careful, gently prodding conversation, curious looks, and the rearranging of the group dynamic. It became clear quickly that Legend no longer had an interest in the pranks Wild and Wind tried to pull him into. His once teasing relationship with Warriors had quickly taken a more volatile turn. Legend stuck closer to Time, but few words were exchanged between the two. And Legend ignored Hyrule unless he absolutely had to talk to him.

"So, Leg, how was your adventure?" Warriors asked one night, the sharp smirk on his face indicating he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. Legend bristled, a now familiar scowl on his face as he crossed his arms.

"None of your business," Legend shot back. Wind's eyebrows rose comically in response, sending Hyrule's fight or flight response into overdrive.

"Aw, but Legend! You always tell the coolest stories about your adventures!" Wind prodded, and half the group froze in anticipation for the worst. Legend blinked in surprise, then his face fell back into an annoyed mask.

"I don't feel like talking about it."

The next day had Hyrule braced himself before he even fully awoke. The conversation was far from finished, made clear by the curious glint in Warriors' and Wind's eyes as they whispered to each other conspiratorially. Hyrule kept to the back of the group as they walked, close enough to keep an eye on Legend but far enough to avoid conflict himself. He didn't have to wait long.

"So, Legend." Warriors began, throwing an arm around the shorter man's shoulders.

Legend froze so quickly it almost looked like he'd jumped. With too much force he shoved Wars off him, only making him stumble a few steps, but it was enough to get his point across.

"Don't. Touch me." Legend grit out, angrier than Hyrule could ever remember seeing him. Warriors _paled_ , waving his hands placatingly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Warriors assured, but Legend scoffed.

"Yeah, right, that's why you're bothering me then? Just being friendly, not trying to pry into my business again, _right?_ " Legend's voice held enough venom to scare even Hyrule, his teeth snapping shut in his mouth and eyes widening.

Legend's gaze snapped to him, ice cold and threatening, and Hyrule's heart wrenched. Tears sprung to his eyes, and Legend's anger cracked, guilt and hurt and fear plain on his face for just a moment. He tore his eyes away and hunched his shoulders, and Warriors backed off.

Apparently that wasn't enough to deter them however. Later that afternoon, as the group sat on the path and munched on a lunch of bread and cheese, Wind sauntered towards Legend with clear curiosity. Legend shot him a glare but Wind was undeterred, plopping himself down closer than anyone had yet dared to sit to the older hero, his eyes sparkling with questions.

"What do you want, Wind." Legend sighed, incredibly tired, and Wind perked up excitedly.

"I just have a little question--not about your adventures or anything!" Wind assured, and Legend pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was just wondering, how old are you now? You were only gone about five months, but you're like a completely different person now!"

Wind wouldn't know tact if it hit him over the head. Hyrule felt his heart pound anxiously as Legend let out a long suffering sigh. All eyes were on him now, Legend's shoulders hunching towards his ears uncomfortably.

"I'm twenty." his voice was quiet, slightly muffled by the hand that rubbed his face--and Hyrule realized he was fighting to keep his expression blank and neutral, fighting to keep the mask from breaking. Tense silence filled the air, but Wind didn't seem to notice, eyes wide as dinner plates and perpetual smile on his lips.

"Wow! So you were gone three years! That must've been one long adventure."

And that's when the tension snapped.

Legend rose to his feet in an instant, grabbing his things and walking with quick strides. He dumped his bag on the path ahead, within their line of sight but with more than enough distance to scream _go away_ at anyone who dared follow. Wind blinked in surprise, looking around at a collection of concerned, annoyed, and tired faces.

"What did I say?" he asked, and Hyrule looked towards his old friend, a heavy weight on his heart.

"I will only say this once," Time's voice was thick with disappointment, enough to make Hyrule stiffen but not enough to tear his eyes from Legend. He'd taken out a book, covers worn with age. He held it close to his heart, like Hyrule did with Legend's letters to this day, a reminder of times long gone by. "You will all leave Legend alone. It's obvious he doesn't want to talk right now and pushing him will only cause trouble. He doesn't have to share if he doesn't want to, and if he does he gets to do it of his own free will."

Hyrule laid awake that night, holding the worn paper of Legend's letters to his heart. Every word memorized, replaying in his head, weaving beautiful stories of love and adventure. Forgiving seas and gentle breezes and a girl with hair as red as sunset. Legend was on his side, back to the others and away from camp enough that only a flicker of firelight played on his form. Hyrule knew he wasn't sleeping either, but he didn't dare call out. The fragile peace the group was building with their new-old member was more important than the ache in his chest that Legend had left behind.

That night, Hyrule dreamt of churning seas, flickering moonlight too far to reach, ice cold water lulling him to that peaceful haze beyond mere sleep. Wreckage on a beach, rain soaked sands and numb hands and slipping in and out of consciousness like the waves that lapped at his feet. Sadness, guilt, despair sharp like a knife in his heart. Pain far greater than any physical injury could ever be, snapping the dream into a million pieces of glass and slipping away into the depths of memory. Hyrule's eyes opened, mind yanking him from an all too familiar nightmare for a countless time. His heart raced, chills wracked his body, but Hyrule was fine.

Across the camp he heard muffled sobs.

Hyrule turned his head, and there was Legend, hunched over himself with his hands gripping his hair and shoulders shaking with every hitched breath that tore from his frame. Hyrule sat up slowly, the motion causing Legend to freeze. His brother turned, eyes rimmed red and tears dripping down his chin, and Hyrule realized he had tears of his own cutting twin tracks down his cheeks. Hyrule reached out, hand trembling, and Legend turned away, wiping a sleeve over his face in rough motions.

"Legend, are you--"

"Leave me alone, 'Rule." Legend whispered, barely there. Guilt and sorrow and pain thick in his voice. He laid back down and curled up, silent, and Hyrule watched as a strange feeling welled up inside him.

Legend had used his nickname. It was the first time he'd addressed Hyrule since returning, and it had been the nickname Legend had given him all those months ago. The one each letter held, the one that meant _you are my brother_. Hyrule laid back down, mind buzzing with emotions and thoughts and too much all at once for his tired brain to process.

Hyrule didn't think anything of the nightmare coming back after three months until the second time he woke from the clutches of dark waters to the sound of Legend's panicked breaths.

"Legend, are you okay?" Twilight's quiet tone barely reached Hyrule's ears, the roar of distant seas still clogging them. His eyes fluttered open and he turned, seeing Legend curled on his side and Twilight crouched a few feet away, concerned but unsure.

"Leave me alone, Twi." Legend's voice shook. He sounded so tired.

"You're sure?"

" _Yes_ ," Legend hissed, tensing, and Twilight sighed, going back to Wild's side.

Hyrule didn't bother Legend that night, but the knowledge was there now, heavy in his mind.

Legend trudged through the days with dark circles under his eyes--ones Hyrule had grown used to seeing on his own face. He didn't poke or prod, Hyrule simply watched. And waited.

The third time the dream took him was a week later. Hyrule fought his way from its depths with all his strength, feeling water filling his lungs and heart skipping dangerously in his chest. He broke free with a gasp that quickly stuck in his throat, mind still one foot in the dream as water like shards of ice pierced his skin. He rolled over and coughed, panic searing through his hazy mind and lungs aching. He needed to _breathe_ , but each attempt left his head dizzier and lungs seizing around invisible water. Hyrule's head spun. Was he really awake, or was this another dream, dragging him down towards an imminent death?

Distantly he felt a hand on his back, a shaky grip circling him as he struggled to breathe. Hyrule's eyes fluttered open to see a dark red tunic and blonde hair with a streak of pink. Found his head pressed against a familiar chest as the dull roar of waves turned to blood pounding in his ears. Hyrule took one shuddering breath, another, the world flooding back around him as Legend held him tight against his chest. Hyrule held his hands tight against himself, holding back the urge to reach out, to hold his brother the way he desperately wanted to. Legend shook as he finally drew away, but he didn't leave, and Hyrule felt his heart ache as he took in the pinch of his shoulders.

"Bad dream?" Legend asked, rasping voice pulling Hyrule from his thoughts.

"Mm..." Hyrule watched the way Legend's hand shook as it pushed through his hair, took in the hitch of his breath, the fear and guilt and hurt bright in his eyes. "You’re having them too, right?"

"I--" Legend shot a glance at Hyrule, panicked.

"Dreams about drowning. Dreams about waking up on a strange island surrounded by the wreckage of a ship..." Hyrule watched Legend tense, shoulders inching higher, breath catching in his throat, tears filling his eyes. "Dreams about red hair and ocean breezes and warm sands--"

"Stop," Legend whispered, knees drawn close to his chest and head lowered, eyes distant.

"I have them too."

"'Rule, I--"

Hyrule stretched out a hand, fingers splayed, a mere two feet between them. Inches between the tips of his fingers and the cloth of Legend's sleeve, close enough to feel the heat emanating from him. Legend looked up, eyes filled with fear. They were back on the beach, grey waves crashing as morning broke over a distant horizon. Sand beneath his knees, dagger shaking in the face of pleading eyes. Hand outstretched.

_Take my hand, Legend._

Slowly, shaking fingers met. Warm, alive, _real_.

Hyrule pulled Legend towards him and wrapped him in a hug made of every day spent in fear, every hour of worry, every minute of longing and second of yearning. Hyrule held Legend tight and felt shaking shoulders, shaking breaths, shaking hands winding around his back in return. Hot tears slipped down his cheeks as the heaviness of his heart lightened, the weight like a vice in his chest eased.

"I'm sorry," Legend whispered against his shoulder, face tucked away from view.

"It's okay," Hyrule said. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too"

"What happened?"

Legend shook his head. Hyrule hummed.

"I... I'm not ready yet." Legend pulled away, scrubbing the evidence of tears from his face, and Hyrule's heart sank. But there was a smile there, however small.

\---

The next day Hyrule found Legend walking at his side, two feet between them but close enough that Hyrule could see the slight twitch to his lips he hid from the rest. As Wind and Wild joked, as Twilight and Time spoke of home, as Four and Sky talked swords and Warriors listened in, Legend had a small smile on his face. The tension was gone, the curious glances became relieved smiles, and Hyrule found himself relaxing for the first time in weeks, shoulders sore from being held rigid so long.

Legend joined into the conversation that night by the fire. He didn't share anything about himself, but he chuckled at the jokes Wind and Wild shared, shooting off a few of his own to their delight. He sat beside Hyrule, relaxed, his irritated mask softened fondly. The group spoke about the months past and Legend nodded along, genuine curiosity in his eyes. Wind began a retelling of a battle with exaggerated motions of his hands, his face screwing up expressively, and Legend smiled softly. Hyrule's hand drifted towards his chest, resting over his heart where the letters were tucked, a smile of his own breaking through. Legend noticed, head tilting towards him curiously, and Hyrule let his hand drop.

"You good, 'Rule?" Legend's eyebrows pinched together ever so slightly, and Hyrule felt his heart hammer nervously, voice rising an octave in his throat.

"Yep!" he squeaked, and Legend gave him a disbelieving look. Hyrule quickly looked back towards Wind and Legend shrugged and did the same.

Hyrule should have known it wouldn't be so easy to deter Legend's suspicion.

He was only trying to respect his brother's privacy in the end. The letters that had kept him company so long in Legend's absence, words that twisted up and plagued his mind awake and asleep, letters that spoke of things not ready to be said aloud... Hyrule didn't want to push Legend, so he stayed silent, and tried to pretend he wasn't worried.

Apparently that only served to make Legend worried about _him_ , which led to the trouble he found himself in now, days later and deep within an unfamiliar forest collecting firewood.

"We need to talk," Legend shot him a look of concern barely covered by annoyance, and Hyrule felt the blood drain from his face. "You're acting strange. Spill."

"No I'm not!" Hyrule protested, voice cracking. He winced, Legend's gaze only narrowing in response.

"Come on, 'Rule, I only wanna help." Legend huffed, a hand on his hip and frown on his face.

"It's nothing, really." Hyrule insisted, feeling his resolve beginning to crumble.

"So you admit there's something wrong, then."

"What? No! I never--"

"Hyrule, you're a terrible liar." Legend snapped, finally frustrated, and Hyrule's shoulders slumped. Slowly, Hyrule reached between his tunics, pulling the small bundle of letters from their home.

The envelopes were worn and yellowed with age, his name smudged from rain and tears on the front of each. He thrust them towards Legend before he could think better of it, guilt gnawing at him as recognition slowly dawned on his brother's face. Legend took the letters with hesitation. He undid the twine keeping them together and slid the paper from its sleeve, unfolding it with steady hands. His eyes roamed over the words, widening slightly, mouth parting as disbelief and grief passed over his face.

"How do you have these?" Legend whispered, eyes still fixed on the page.

"You sent them to me while you were gone." Hyrule's voice wavered. "I got them all within the first two months. After that the dreams started, and then I found you on the beach."

Legend's eyes scanned over the words, softening, until his face fell sadly. He lowered himself to the ground, crossing his legs, hands beginning to shake, and Hyrule quickly sat beside him. Legend moved to the next letter, then the next, his fingers tracing the gentle swirl of a name.

_Marin._

Legend folded the final letter along the worn crease marks. He sighed, shaky, turned away.

"So you know, then." Hyrule nodded once, eyes fixed guilty on the hands in his lap. Legend hummed, distracted, lost in his thoughts. "I loved her, you know."

Hyrule looked up to see a wistful, tilted smile on Legend's face, his eyes drawn to the moon rising overhead.

"What happened?"

Legend faltered, looked down at Hyrule for a moment, face pinched. He closed his eyes, sucked in a breath that came out in a long sigh.

"I killed her."

\---

Legend felt the walls crumbling within him, the doors shut tight over his heart buckling under the pressure of every bottled up emotion he tried to ignore. Every dream of stormy seas, every nightmare of fiery hair and musical laughter. Every note of the song that set him free and destroyed the dream he tried so hard to keep. A love never meant to be, a love he tore apart on a mission to protect a person he would soon destroy. A girl brighter than the sun that drew him into her orbit. A world so lifelike and wonderful, so full of mystery, so alive that he didn't even consider.

The girl of his dreams, real, until the day he woke up.

"I killed her." he said, because it was true. Not with the flash of a blade or the kiss of the sea, not how he would die, but with a promise made and a dream broken.

Legend had killed her, not a thought in his mind as he sealed her world's fate with one simple, haunting song. Waking to waves lapping at his feet, sand thick in his hair, wreckage scattered across a beach where he should have died. A whole adventure, a whole year, gone. A whole world, gone. The love of his life, gone.

Hyrule watched him carefully as he came undone, shock evident on his face, denial clear in his eyes, but Legend simply chuckled in the face of the one person who still believed in him.

"Wind was right. I had more than one adventure while I was gone. After I left, I set out to sea and got caught in a storm. I woke up on Koholint Island and there she was." Legend sighed, feeling tears pricking at the back of his eyes. Hyrule sat in rapt silence, so he sucked in a breath and continued. "I was there for a year, working towards waking this strange creature called the Wind Fish. I didn't realize until the world began to disappear beneath my feet that the whole thing had been a dream..."

Hyrule sucked in a breath, an odd, _knowing_ look on his face. Legend tore his eyes away, already losing the will to say more despite the weight lifting from his shoulders. He handed back the small stack of letters with shaking hands, eyes on the pineneedle ground beneath him.

"When I woke up, you were there, and she was gone. I thought you were a dream too, and when you disappeared I just... went home. Another adventure was waiting for me there." Legend chuckled, dry, sarcastic. "I couldn't say no, I couldn't tell them I wasn't a hero, or that I'd just gotten back from destroying an entire world. So I set out again and did what was asked of me. The Goddesses only gave me a couple months to recover before the portal came to bring me back here."

Hyrule placed a tentative hand on his back, an understanding and kind smile on his face. Legend felt a small ghost of a smile slip onto his lips, felt the weight shift off, felt the tight doors unlock. Hyrule wrapped him in a tight hug, and Legend grasped his tunic tight between shaking hands and felt _home_ for the first time in so long.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me," Hyrule whispered into his hair as Legend took calm, steadying breaths. Hyrule smelled of pine and woodsmoke and limestone caves. Home. "I hope you know that no matter what, you are _my_ hero, and that will never change."

The tears spilled over. With each one, the water clogging his lungs lessened. The splinters of his heart pieced back together. The hole that Marin left ached less and less.

"You didn't kill her, Legend. She may be gone, but she will always live on in your memory." Hyrule's voice cracked, words heavy with understanding and grief. Legend didn't quite believe him yet, but the words eased the ache in his chest.

"Thank you, 'Rule." Legend whispered, and Hyrule pulled back enough to give him a watery smile.

They made it back to the group some time later, having spent far too long basking in the comfortable silence of understanding as the forest descended into a peaceful night around them. It didn't seem to matter, the wood they'd collected disappearing into Wild's slate with a knowing smile and a thanks. Time met Legend's eyes across the clearing; _relief, understanding, invitation_ clear in his gaze. They'd speak with words one of these days, but for now Legend smiled softly and sat beside Hyrule, their knees touching, grounding.

Not a dream, not a nightmare, but real.

Legend basked in the warmth of the fire and the cool air of the night, wrapped in the embrace of conversation from the heroes he called his brothers. For the first time in many years, Legend felt peace like a blanket rest on his shoulders.

"Hey, Wind," Legend called, the boy shooting him a curious look from his place beside Wild.

Legend took a breath, grasped his courage.

"Want to hear a story?"

It wasn’t quite there yet, Legend still grasping weakly at shreds of a brotherhood that once was. But it was an effort, it was an attempt, and each step towards normalcy left his heart lighter than before. Each word, each shared look, each joke and touch and day spent together pieced it back together until Legend knew.

He was home.


End file.
